Difference Between Dreams and Reality
by Jasper'sBaltimoreBabe
Summary: Merlin's been having dreams about a certain blonde prince...Will things change between them on a hunting trip? Will Merlin get his happy ending? Slash. Merlin/Arthur. Summary sucks, please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: 1:00 AM + Taylor Swift + vanilla Tootsie Rolls = this story. **

**TSwift's song "Untouchable" inspired this fic. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin or any of Taylor Swift's songs. **

Merlin could feel the soft breeze rustling the grass around him, and as he opened his eyes to the star-strewn sky, a familiar voice called his name.

"Yes, sire?" he replied, turning his head to the figure on his right.

Arthur made an irritated noise. "How many times have I told you that you can ignore the formalities when we're alone?"

"I'm sorry, Arthur," Merlin said, and sat up. "What were you going to tell me?"

"I was about to say-"

But Merlin never got to hear what Arthur was about to tell him. A sudden pounding on his bedroom door woke him, and Gaius's warnings of the stocks if he was late to Arthur's chambers (again) brought Merlin back into the real world. He gave a groan of annoyance before getting out of bed.

For the past few months Merlin's been having the same dream every night- he and Arthur laying under the stars, Arthur about to tell him something of importance, and then Merlin would always be woken up by Gaius, or the sounds of the people bustling about in the city, or, God forbid, Arthur himself. He had been caught several times by the prince when he was trying to grab a quick nap between chores, and Arthur hadn't been very forgiving…

Merlin knew he had feelings for the future king of Camelot, feelings a servant shouldn't be having for his master. But those feelings were there, and they were driving him insane.

Arthur was an arrogant, pompous clot pole, and Merlin loved him more than anyone or anything in the entire world.

And these dreams were making it even more difficult to disguise his love for Arthur. If only the dream would progress, maybe that would give him some closure.

If only…

"Late again, Merlin?" Arthur asked before Merlin even had the chance to close the door.

"I'm sorry, sire," he replied.

Arthur sighed. "No matter. Just help me get dressed."

Merlin quickly scampered over to Arthur's wardrobe, knowing exactly which clothes the prince would wear. Rumors were that there would be negotiations between Camelot and one of the surrounding kingdoms, details of which Merlin knew nothing about.

Merlin tried to keep his face passive as he dressed Arthur, not wanting to show how he marveled at the prince's body. How he wished to run his hands over the hard planes of Arthur's chest, how he wanted those muscular arms to be wrapped around him, how he wanted those lips-

"_Mer_lin!" Arthur growled, pulling his servant back from his thoughts. "Are you even listening to me?"

Merlin gulped. "Um…"

"I take that as a 'no.'" Arthur ran his hands over his face. "I just said to have my horse re-shoed for the hunting trip."

"Hunting trip?" Merlin asked before he could even stop himself.

Arthur looked blankly at him. "You really don't pay any attention to me at all, do you?" Arthur asked angrily.

_If you only knew, _Merlin thought.

"In a few days some of the knights and I are going to travel to some of the further woodland areas of the kingdom. There've been several reports that the deer population is up and that it's destroying crops."

Merlin vaguely remembered Arthur telling him this the other week, while Arthur was taking a bath. Oh, _that's_ why he didn't remember…

"So can you do that, or will I have to get a new manservant who is actually competent?"

"I'll do it, sire," Merlin answered, his face a little red.

Arthur nodded and left his chambers, unknowingly leaving a heartsick Merlin.

**A/N: Reviews = Next Chapter! So please review! I know I can never get enough Merthur goodness! ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I appreciate your reviews! :) Here's the next chapter!**!

Merlin was once again lying in the grass, eyes closed, relishing the feel of Arthur's presence next to him.

"Merlin?"

"Yes, sire?" Merlin answered, unable to stop himself from using the formal "sire."

"How many times have I told you that you can ignore the formalities when we're alone?"

"I'm sorry, Arthur," Merlin said, turning to look at his Prince. "What did you want to tell me?"

"I was about to say that I'm lucky to have you as a friend."

Merlin was in shock; he couldn't believe that he hadn't woken up yet. For months the dream hadn't changed, and now this.

"Friend?" Merlin asked, surprised Arthur hadn't said "servant."

"Yes," Arthur replied, leaning on his elbow to look at Merlin. The light breeze tousled his hair. "You stay with me even though I can be…" He searched for the right term.

"Prattish?" Merlin suggested, and he was suddenly punched in the arm. "Ow!"

Arthur smirked at him, but continued. "You're the most loyal friend I've had."

"Well, thanks," Merlin replied, rather lamely. "Arthur, can I tell you something?" He wanted to take this opportunity that the dream had given him.

"Anything, Merlin."

His heart soared at the way his name sounded coming from those royal lips.

"Arthur, I-"

"Merlin, get up! You're going to be late!"

_Damn it all to hell_, Merlin thought, covering his head with his pillow. But he couldn't feel as annoyed as he should; the dream had changed, and that made Merlin's day a little brighter.

As he accompanied Arthur on the hunting trip, he wondered if Arthur really did consider him a friend, and not just a servant.

"Merlin, you idiot, keep up!" Arthur snapped at him, several yards ahead of the young warlock.

"Prat," Merlin muttered. He urged his horse forward.

Deep inside himself Merlin knew that Arthur did consider him as more than a mere servant. He had saved Merlin's life when he was poisoned by Nimueh, and he showed that he was willing to sacrifice himself for Merlin when he was tested after killing the unicorn. Even then he had told Merlin that he was glad he was there with him, and that meant a great deal to him.

_Maybe Arthur does like me._

Merlin sat by the campfire later that day, pulling leaves and twigs out of his hair. While he had been thinking about Arthur, his horse had been spooked, and Merlin had promptly been thrown into the undergrowth. The undergrowth had been so dense that it completely hid Merlin's winded body and it took the knights a good fifteen minutes to locate him. To say that Arthur had been annoyed was an understatement.

"You really are completely useless, aren't you?" Arthur asked him as he took a seat next to his manservant.

Merlin chuckled lightly. "If I'm so useless, why did you bring me?"

Arthur turned his head away from Merlin, looking into the fire, but not before Merlin saw the light blush creeping up his face. "I felt it was my duty to let Camelot have a few days without your presence," he said.

"I'm not that bad!" Merlin protested.

"Oh, really? What about when you tried to boil me with my bathwater?"

Merlin opened his mouth to protest, but quickly closed it. That _had_ been his fault.

"That's what I thought," Arthur said, clearly happy that he had won the argument. He smiled at Merlin. "You have a leaf in your neckerchief."

Merlin quickly brushed it off, and looked back at Arthur.

"Get some rest," Arthur advised. "You'll need it for tomorrow; you're carrying our supplies." His amused smile turned to his usual arrogant smirk as he left Merlin grumbling by the fire.

Merlin's dream that night didn't make any more progress before he was awakened by the real Arthur.

"Merlin, you idiot, get up!"

He opened his eyes to see an irate Arthur. Oh, god, he had overslept.

"Good morning," Arthur said. "Did you have a good sleep?"

Merlin knew it was bad idea to respond. He just looked up at the prince.

"Well, I hope you did, because you get to carry this today." Without warning, he dropped a rather heavy bag on Merlin, causing him to grunt.

"Great," Merlin replied, shifting the bag off of himself.

As Arthur left him to get ready for the hunt, Merlin wished that he could go back to sleep, back to his dream, back to a much more pleasant Arthur.

**A/N: I've already started on chapter 3, so I'll try to have that done by Monday... Reviews will make me write faster... *hint*hint* ;D**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Next chapter! And just a warning: the end of this gets a bit...depressing. I was crying as I wrote it, so be sure to have some Kleenex handy.**

"Now, Merlin, you're going to go in there and scare whatever it is out into our trap."

Merlin put the heavy bag down. He remembered the last time Arthur had said that, the result being a dead unicorn and Camelot almost destroyed by drought and famine.

"Go on," Arthur said, pushing him in the direction of their prey.

Merlin hesitantly started to walk through the forest, pushing branches out of his way and trying not to trip over any roots. He preyed that the animal was just a harmless deer, and not something more vicious, like an oversized boar.

As the animal came into view, Merlin was relieved to see that it was just a deer. As it fell victim to the knights, he looked away; he didn't like to see any creature be killed.

"Good work, Merlin," Arthur complimented him as the made their way back to camp. "You were actually helpful."

It wasn't much of a compliment, but Merlin took it. "Thank you, sire."

Arthur nodded. "And it looks like you're handling that bag pretty well."

The knights up ahead snickered and Merlin glared at Arthur. The bag was weighing so heavily on his back that he was unable to stand up straight. He was pretty sure Arthur had filled it with rocks; not once did he or one of the knights retrieve anything from it.

"Prat," Merlin mumbled, and Arthur sighed.

"Fine."

Suddenly Merlin felt the extra weight being taken from him and he looked over to see that Arthur now carried the bag.

"A 'thank-you' will do just fine," the prince muttered to his servant.

"Thank you," Merlin replied, and he noticed that he and Arthur were now considerably behind the others.

"Well, I don't want you to get injured. You would be totally useless then," Arthur added quickly.

Merlin rolled his eyes, but just a for second he had heard Arthur's arrogant tone disappear. His heart swelled with hope.

Just as they neared the camp site, Arthur suddenly handed the bag back to Merlin, "handed" here meaning hitting him in the chest with it.

"Put this back in the tent, and Sir Leon's crossbow broke so I want you to fix it," the prince ordered him.

"Yes, sire," Merlin said, sighing. It was like every time Arthur dropped the princely façade, he immediately put it back up, and it was driving Merlin to near insanity.

Merlin watched the dream-Arthur closely, taking in every little move he made to see if he could figure anything out.

"You're the most loyal friend I've ever had." Arthur's eyes met his, and there was something in those blue depths that made Merlin's heart do a back flip.

"Well, thanks. Arthur, can I tell you something?" Merlin asked hesitantly, looking away from him.

"Anything, Merlin." He moved closer to his manservant.

Merlin paused, expecting for the real Arthur to wake him up, but nothing happened. He was still sitting under the stars with his dream-Arthur, who right now was so close to Merlin that the young warlock could feel the heat from his body. He looked back at Arthur, and he saw that Arthur's expression mirrored his own. Without thinking, Merlin leaned in and met Arthur's lips with his, relishing the feeling as Arthur kissed him back, the prince's hand stroking Merlin's raven-black hair…

"Prince Arthur, we're under attack!"

Merlin was immediately awake, the feelings of bliss quickly being replaced with those of horror as he heard the sounds of the knights shouting outside of the tent. He jumped up and grabbed his sword when Arthur raced outside. When Merlin rushed after him, he was almost ambushed by one of the attackers, but he was able to duck away from him and quickly dispatch him. Merlin desperately looked for the flash of gold hair that would indicate Arthur. At this point Merlin wasn't concerned about his destiny, he was only concerned with saving the life of the man he loved.

Merlin weaved his way through the fray, killing a man that was about to stab Leon in the back. Leon gave Merlin a grateful smile.

"Where's Arthur?" Merlin shouted.

"I saw him go that way!" Leon indicated the direction and Merlin began running.

He came upon Arthur fighting valiantly with three of the attackers, and Merlin rushed forward to help him. Merlin was able to sneak up on one from behind, leaving two, and Merlin and Arthur fought back to back as they finished off their opponents.

Unfortunately, several more appeared, backing Arthur and Merlin into the side of a cave, no doubt where the attackers made camp. Arthur quickly dispatched one, as did Merlin, but four more closed in on them, and Merlin realized what he had to do. He took one last glance at Arthur, and seeing that his head was turned away from him, whispered, _"Astice!"_ and the man nearest him was sent flying back. The others were baffled, and in the few seconds that they were immobile due to shock, Arthur and Merlin attacked them, but not before the final one standing stabbed Merlin, causing the boy to fall to the ground.

_"Merlin!"_ Arthur shouted, and quickly killed the last man, rushing to his servant's side. "Oh, Merlin, god, no." He cradled his injured friend in his arms, shouting towards their camp for help. "I'll get you back to Camelot, do you understand? I won't let you die," he said fiercely. He easily picked Merlin up, carrying him back to the camp and he immediately mounted one of the horses. The pain in Merlin's side was dragging him away from reality, and he struggled to keep his eyes open.

"You are not to die, Merlin! If there was ever a time to obey my orders, it's now!" Arthur told him. "Please, Merlin," the prince begged quietly.

For one last second, those royal eyes met his servant's, and the pain finally dragged Merlin away, back to his dream.

**A/N: Before you start hating me, I would just like to say this is NOT the end! There will be more chapters (and more Merthur goodness) to come!**

**Please be kind in your reviews.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Will Arthur be able to save Merlin? Read to find out!**

As Arthur kissed him, Merlin wondered if this was his heaven. It seemed like it would be, but Merlin knew that this dream-Arthur could never replace the real Arthur. _His_ Arthur.

Somewhere far away he could hear his Arthur calling to him. "Don't you dare die, Merlin. Don't you leave me!"

Tears pricked at Merlin's eyes and he broke the kiss, gazing into dream-Arthur's eyes.

"Am I going to die?"

Arthur's face fell and he stroked Merlin's cheek tenderly. "I don't know."

Merlin's breathing was rough, and Arthur knew that he needed to get Merlin to Gaius immediately. He wasn't sure how deep the wound was, but he knew it was deep enough to claim his servant's life. He urged his horse to go faster, wishing that his mount would suddenly sprout wings. Merlin groaned quietly.

"Don't you dare die, Merlin. Don't you dare leave me!"

Arthur's anxiety was lessened when he saw the familiar white stone walls of Camelot. He galloped into the courtyard, almost trampling a few unobservant guards.

"My lord," one guard said, restraining the prince's horse. "Why-?"

"We were attacked," Arthur said shortly, quickly dismounting and carefully taking Merlin's limp form into his arms. "Tell my father they need aid."

The guard nodded and ran off as Arthur hurried to the court physician.

"Gaius!" Arthur shouted, struggling to open the door.

Gaius opened it and Arthur saw the heartbreak on the old man's face when he saw Merlin.

"He was stabbed. Please hurry."

Arthur laid Merlin on the cot by the fireplace, and Gaius began trying to stop the bleeding. Arthur's shirt was stained with the blood of his friend.

"My lord, perhaps-"

"I'm staying," Arthur said defiantly, not taking his gaze away from Merlin.

Gaius said nothing more, and he was able to stop the bleeding as best he could, but he wasn't sure whether there was any serious internal damage. Only time would tell.

Arthur refused the comforts of his chambers. He stayed up the entire night, sitting by Merlin's side, watching the slight rise and fall of his servant's chest. Every breath was a blessing to Arthur.

But the greatest blessing of all was when Merlin finally opened his eyes two days later.

Merlin's vision was hazy, and he blinked several times, trying to clear his sight. He heard a sharp intake of breath and stiffly turned his head. At first he couldn't recognize the face due to the glaring sun behind the figure, but as his eyes adjusted, he saw, with delight, that it was his Arthur.

"Merlin, thank god you're all right," he sighed with relief, an overjoyed smile on his face. "I thought I was going to lose you."

Merlin stared at the prince in surprise; he was that worried about Merlin? When he tried to speak, he began coughing; his throat was very dry. Arthur immediately fetched him a glass of water. _Now who's waiting on whom?_ Merlin thought amusedly, but was happy that Arthur seemed so concerned about him.

"How long have I been out?" Merlin asked finally when he regained his voice.

"Two days," Arthur replied.

"And how long have you been here?" Merlin asked slowly.

Arthur ducked his head down, but Merlin could still see the blush on his face. "I was afraid to leave you; I wanted to make sure I had time to say good-bye if…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the thought.

"Arthur…" Merlin didn't know what to say.

Arthur cleared his throat. "Well, I should tell Gaius you're awake."

And with that Arthur strode out of the room, leaving Merlin to his thoughts.

**A/N: How many of you thought that I would actually kill off Merlin? I'm not that cruel! **

**So there's only 1 chapter left... Reviews=the final chapter of this Merthur story. Review! :)  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here it is! The final chapter! Please enjoy!**

Two weeks after his brush with death, Merlin was back to working for Arthur, although the prince didn't order him around like he used to, seeing that Merlin favored his injured side. The stab wound had healed up, but Gaius had instructed Merlin to take care.

Arthur hadn't mentioned what he had confessed to Merlin by his bedside, nor had he mentioned anything about the attack. Merlin knew it was better not to pry.

Then one evening when Merlin was retiring to his room, Arthur appeared in front of him.

"Come with me," he ordered.

When Merlin hesitated, Arthur grabbed his arm gently. "Unless you want to spend the rest of the week in the stocks, come with me."

Merlin gave a defeated sigh and Arthur let go of his arm. Merlin followed him out to the stables, where two horses were waiting.

"Arthur-?" Merlin began to ask where they were going, but the look on Arthur's face told him to shut up. They mounted their horses and Arthur led Merlin into the woods, eventually leading him to a small clearing. Arthur dismounted, and Merlin followed suit, though a bit slowly since his side was beginning to ache. When he turned to face Arthur, he saw the sympathetic look on the prince's face.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Sometimes," Merlin said, walking over to Arthur. "Why are we here?" He looked around the small, grassy clearing. There was something familiar about this place…

"Because we have something important to discuss, and if we're here then no one will over hear us."

"What do we need to talk about?" Merlin asked hesitantly, fear beginning to flood through him.

"Since when have you been a sorcerer, Merlin?" Arthur asked.

Merlin's brain shut down. He stood in front of the prince, speechless.

"I heard you incant something when we were cornered. I saw that man fly backward. I'm not an idiot, Merlin. How long did you think you could hide this from me?" Arthur was angry.

Merlin looked at the ground. "I was born like this, Arthur. I didn't study magic; it wasn't taught to me."

Arthur scoffed. "That's impossible."

"It's true!" Now Merlin was upset. "I've been moving things with my mind since before I could talk!"

Arthur studied Merlin closely. "You told me once that I could always trust your word."

"I'm giving you my word, Arthur. I was born like this."

"Okay. I believe you." Arthur's eyes met his. "Now why didn't you tell me before?"

"How could I?" Merlin asked. "Your father has made damn sure that people like me are killed."

"That's true, but I'm not my father, Merlin."

Merlin looked at him questioningly.

"I won't tell anyone," Arthur said quietly, resting his hand on Merlin's shoulder. "You're the most loyal friend I've ever had, and if you're a sorcerer…Well, I almost lost you once. I couldn't bear losing you for good, especially if I could prevent it."

"Thank you, Arthur," Merlin said, and in his emotional whirlwind he got the urge to throw his arms around Arthur's neck and kiss him. A light breeze blew around them, tousling Arthur's hair, and that's when Merlin realized that this was the place from his dream. He couldn't believe that it was real. And if there was one thing he learned from his dreams, it was to always take every chance you got.

So Merlin leaned in and kissed Arthur's lips.

Merlin could feel Arthur's surprise, and he was about to pull away when he felt two hands on either side of his face, holding him to the prince's lips. Arthur kissed him back eagerly, and Merlin wanted to cry with happiness. Arthur was fine with Merlin having magic (and was going to protect him from Uther) and he was kissing Merlin back!

When the two broke the kiss, breathing heavily, foreheads touching, Arthur dropped his hands down and held Merlin's hands in his. "I love you, Merlin," he breathed, and if the clearing hadn't been completely silent, Merlin might not have heard those words.

"I love you, Arthur," Merlin replied, and he still couldn't believe that his dream had actually come true.

Arthur gave him a small smile and suggested they get back to Camelot. Before Merlin rode away from the clearing, he chanced a glance at the sky, and he saw the bright stars winking down at him, as if telling him, _Any dream can become a reality._

**The End**

**A/N: I know that this chapter wasn't very long. I give my apologies about that. Don't be sad because it's over- you can always go back to the beginning and re-read it! :p**

**Thank you for all of the lovely reviews! :) They always made my day brighter!  
**


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